Clover-harvester.



C. E; JENKINS.

CLOVER HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. ms.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 m i ON a a Qfloantoz I E. JENKINS C. E. JENKINS.

CLOVER HARVESTER.

APPLICATION EllED JULY I9. 1916.

machine be p small manufacturingcostw V a y r :Withtheabove;andother" object-sin view,

my; invention consists inwthe,novelifeatures;, ,40- nt: ofipartsLto be, hereinafter=-more fully described',gc a m i ld provide*simple aiid m serviceable means mountingwthe:suctionnozzle se -that its" take end may travel freely over the ground surface;,,,.and manual-1y... operablewmeansffor Figure; 1,; is a side elevation of apor a clover harvestin maehrnegeenstrueted in UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COLUMBUS E. JENKINS, 01 HAGEBMAN, IDAHO.

CLOVER-HARVEST To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COLUMBUS E. JEN- KINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hagerman, in the county of Gooding and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clover- Harvesters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved clover harvester and has for its primary object to provide simple and efficient mechanism which may be connected to or mounted upon a mowing machine to gather the clover cut by the mower as it travels over the ground.

It is one of the more particular objects of the invention to provide improved means for lifting the clover heads from the ground, and means for separating the uncut clover heads from the stems, in combination with an' air suction nozzle into which the clover heads are drawn or collected. and from whiclfthey are subsequently'discharged.

It is another object o ftheinvention.to:

the suction n zzle to any deslred are us The a further 1 r pvide of construction, combination arrangecompanyingidrawingsgiiir-whieh fl 1-, v v 'onof accordance with t 'ofthe -inventiome 1 q g Fig.-

a;topplanview thereof;

Fig. 3' is a lon theline 3-3 of Fig. 2; i

Fig.4v is a; transverse section taken on the line 4--4of-Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a bottom planviewiof the suction nozzle, and'supporting frame.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the supporting framewhich may illustrated insthe ac- 'tudinal section taken on Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

be independently supported or. which may be mounted upon or connected to the rear end of a harvester frame in any desired manner. Upon this frame 5 a large cylin drical fan casing 6 is suitably mounted, in

which a suction fan 7 operates. The shaft 80f this fan is connected by means of the operating chain 9 to a sprocket on a motor driven shaft, it being understood, however, that the suction fan might be driven from the tractic 11 wheels of the frame or from the mower mechanism. To oneside of the fan casing 6, an outwardly extending pipe or conduit 1( is connected, and the lower end of this pipe is inwardl extended as at 11. An elbow 12 is couple by a swivel connection at one of its ends to the angular end 11 of the condr it. To the other end of said el-. how, a 101 gitudinally extending suction nozzle or casing 13 is secured at its smaller end. The wider end of this casing or nozzle 13 is provided with a downwardly extending, flaring it take mouth 14. The lower edge of the firward side wall of this intake 'outlris upw ss over obstructions or irreg-' dsurface. WVithin the erin nozzle, :1 longituc lin er 16 is rotatablin or being provided wit adiall'y projectin v relation. 5M1 one of the intake wheel fagedhy a...cha1n l9 on he" the engi ae- *shaft; braced by means of ardly curved, as at 15, so that teeth .e the pull rods, indicated at 21,001necfedfiat theirlrear;endstothe op- P Site en is: of. the curvededge lo vof thein take mot th--14 ,-the otherends of these-rods 1m isely attachedto zeyei bolts fixed in the' longi hzdi nahbars ofctlle. frame 5'? inl i-ne with the axis. ofi the elbow 12. Suitable means a1eprovidedcforraising and lower- 'ntaka utug nd' also" permitting"; p

in t

thg intake mouth to "sna e-luv 1:. i v 'A lor gitudinally extending, horizontal partitior plate 22 is arranged within the thering nozzle 13 and is fixed at its longiwall of said nozzle'fiThus, theinterior of the nozz ie is dividedinto separate compart- 'ments designated 23 and 24 respectively. The compartment 23 is connected, through tudinal and forward end edges to the top. I

the medium of the pipe 10 and elbow 12, to the suction fan case. A second relatively small blast fan 25 is mounted upon the frame 5 and is also driven at a relatively high speed by means of the chain indicated at 26, from the engine shaft or wheel axle. This fan case is connected by means of a tube 27 to the compartment 24. The rear end of the partition wall 23 extends downwardl into the intake mouth 14 and is space from the rear side wall of said mouth. "To thiswall and in spaced parallel relation to the rear ed e of the partition 23, an angularly dispose flange or lip 28 is secured. Against this lip, the fan 25 directs an air blast-through the com artment 24. This blast of air strikin the ip 28 is defiected forwardly and ownwardlyvat an angle of ap roximately A strong blast of air stri g the ground surface rearwardly of the toothed cylinder 16 raises the fallen or. depressed clover heads from the surface of the ground. The suction through the compartment 23 created by the fan 7, draws the cut clover heads upwardly into the intake, mouth 14 and through the compartment 23. The clover which has not been cut is raised by the air blast so that the teeth of the cylinderl6 will catch the clover heads and detach the same from the stems. In this .manner, it will be seen thatthe clover is thoroughly and'cleanly harvested 'or gath-' cred as the machine is drawn over the ground; The fan case 6 is provided with an upwardly projecting outlet or discharge spout, indicated at 30, from which the clover is discharged into a box or other suitable receptacle arranged upon the frame 5vor upon the mower frame.-

In practical 'use, the gathering casing or nozzle trails along the surface of the ground and follows the contour of the 1 ground by reason of its pivoted and swivel engagement-between the elbow 12 and the-- pipe 11 and between the casin 13 and the elbow. I have shown the whee s supporting the frame 5 but any other suitable support- I ing means which is proper for the purpose lockin may be used. A lever 32 is fulcrumed upon a rack or quadrant 33 fixed to the frame 5, said lever being provided with the usual dog: for engagement with the teeth of sai rac The ever 31 has an angular lower end portion 34, and to the top wall of the suction nozzle 13' the. ends of a wire bail 35 are fixed. The extremity of the a or extension 34 of the lever is slotted, as a 36, and through said slot the bail 35 extends.

Thus, the nozzle or collecting casing 13 may move. vertically with respect to the lever as it is drawn over the ground. The collecting nozzle may, however, be readily raised to s si a la maes m s an ino rative posit'pn'by-themani ulation of the ever 31,- or said nozzle-m .or lowings, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of my invention will be clearly and fully understood. The machine is very eflicient and serviceable in practical operation, and as it consists of a comparatively few parts which are of simple construction, the device is not liable to get out of order or require frequent, repair. It is a parent, of course, that the collecting nozz e or casin may be of any desired size, and the size 0 thesuction and blast fans also varied accordingly.

While I have shown and described the preferred construction and arran ment of the several features of the device, it is to be understood that the same are susceptible of considerable modification therein, and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of ado ting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a clover harvester, a suction fan having a fan casing, a collecting nozzle connected to the fan casing, means mounted in the intake mouth of the nozzle to sever ofthe nozzle, one of said compartments be-.

ing in communication with the suction fan casing, and a blast fanconnected to the other compartment of the nozzle to dischar e an air blast therethrough upon the groun surface and agitate the clover heads whereby the same are drawn through the other compartment by the air suction.

3. In a clover harvester, a suction fan havlgg a fan casing, a collecting nozzle connect to the fan casing, said nozzle having two com 'artments opening into the intake mouth 0 the nozzle, one-of said compartments being in communication with the suction fan casin means mounted in the intake mouth 0 the nozzle between the entrances to said chambers to sever the clover heads, and a blast fan connected to the other of'said chambers to direct an air blast therethrough upon the ground contiguous to said severing means to raise the. clover heads for ment thereby.

4. n aclover harvester, a suction fan, a

opening into the intakemouth of the nozzle in spaced 're'lationto each other, a pipe consaid compartments, a blast fan connected to the other of the compartments, and means for directing an air blast discharged through said compartment upon the ground contiguous to said cylinder to lift the clover heads whereby the same are engaged by the cylinder teeth.

5. In a clover harvester, a suction fan, a collecting nozzle having two compartments opening into the intake mouth of the nozzle in spaced relation to each other, a pipe connectlon between one of said compartments and the suction fan, a rotatably mounted toothed cylinder arranged in the intake mouth of the nozzle between the entrances to said compartments, a blast fan connected to the other of the compartments, andan angular deflecting li secured to one wall of the nozzle in paral el relation to the open end of the latter chamber to direct the air blast discharged from said chamber downwardly upon the ound contiguous to the cylinder to raise t e clover heads to be engaged and severed by the cylinder teeth.

6. In. a clover harvester, a suction fan having a-fan casing, a collecting nozzle con-' nected to the fan casing and having a vertically movable, rigid conduit and an entrance mouth adapted to trail over the ground surface, means mounted in and secured to the entrance mouth of the nozzle to sever the clover heads, and means for raising the nozzle to an inoperative position.

7. In a clover harvester, a suction fan havin a fan casing, having aconduit connect to one side of the fan casi a collecting nozzle, a swivel connection tween one end of the nozzle and said conduit, the other end of said nozzle having a flared en:

trance mouth to trail over the ground surface, means mounted in the nozzle mouth to sever the clover heads, a manually operable lever, and means connecting the nozzle to the lever for limited relative movement, whereby the nozzle may move vertically in travelover uneven ground, said nozzle being elevated to an inoperative position by the manipulation of the lever.

8. In a clover harvester, a suction fan having a fan ca sing, a conduit connected to one side of the fan casing, a collecting nozzle, a swivel connection between one end of the nozzle and s aid conduit, said nozzle hava ing separate compartments one of which is In communicatic n with the conduit, said nozzle being provided with a flared intake mouth and said compartments opening into said mouth in spaced relation to each other, means mounted in the nozzle mouth to sever the clover heads, a blast fan connected to the other of said compartments and discharging an air blast into the nozzle mouth for engagementin the ground surface to raise the clover heads int position to be severed, and manually operable means connected to the collecting nozzlr to raise and lower the same.

9. In a clover harvester, an air suction fan having a casing, a collecting nozzle connected to the fan casing to trail over the ground surface, means for raising the clover heads, and means for severing the clover heads and directing the same into the path of the air suction.

10. In a clover harvester, an air suction fan having a casing, a collecting nozzle connected to the fan casing to trail over the ground surface, means for severing the clover heads, an 1. means for directing an air blast upon the ground to raise the clever heads for engagament by the severing means whereb the sane are drawn into the fan casing y the air suction.

11. In a clover harvester, a collecting nozzle to trail over the ground surface, means for creating an air suction through the nozzle, and means for directing a blast of air upon the ground to raise the severed clover nozzle, and a blast fan connected to the nozzle to deliver-an air blast through the nozzle mouth and upon the ground surface, to raise the severed c air suction.

over heads into the path of the In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the resence of two witnesses.

. COL US E. JENKINS.

Witnesses: C. W, Smmemm,

C. L. Nm son. 

